A powerful earthquake measuring six on the Richter scale jolted the vicinity of Khamir port near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Wednesday. The Geophysics Institute of Tehran University, registered the quake at 15:30 hours local time (11:00 GMT).

According to IRNA, the quake spread panic among people who took to the street in search of shelter. The earthquake was also felt in Dubai.

Yasser Hazbavi, the head of Hormuzgan province's disaster headquarters, told Reuters at least three people were killed and 22 wounded. Iranian state television quoted a Red Crescent official as saying rescue workers were searching for casualties. It said 15 people were injured on Qeshm, an island in the southern Gulf.